Winter Winds
by LIONKATE
Summary: Drabbles from various points throughout Emmeline Vance's life. Featuring many characters.
1. Chapter 1

**November 1974**

To say she wasn't enjoying this would have been a giant lie. She didn't usually revel in the torture of her friends, but Dorcas was putting on the most wonderful show. Emm should have known she'd put up some resistance, but the look she was giving her right now was dark. It made Emm want to laugh a bit.

She'd been trying to talk her into this for months though, so laughing would not be the best course of action. She had worked to make it as painless as possible for Dorcas; she'd made sure to bring her out when no team had practice scheduled, left Mary and Marley up working on an essay, and asked Remus to otherwise occupy his ridiculous friends lest they distract her and she lose Dorcas. So, yes, she'd worked hard for this.

"Emmeline Vance, I am not getting on that thing." This was the third time Dorcas had said as much.

Emm ignored her and steadied her broom three feet above the ground in front of her. "You promised to humor me."

"I am humoring you, just by being out here."

"Dorcas, this is an important skill to have. I can't believe you don't know how to ride a broom." She stroked the newly polished wood. "What sort of witch are you?"

"One who will apparate when the time comes."

"You can't apparate everywhere. You need to know how to fly a broom!"

"No, I don't."

"Yes, yes you do."

They stared each other down for a few minutes before Emm finally broke away. Dorcas would win their staring contest, but Emm would win this war. "I'm going to get you on that broom, Dorcas Anita Meadowes. The sun's going down and you can either ride with me, or ride alone."

She stood just behind her and drew herself up to her full height, which was really no more than two inches taller than Dorcas.

She wasn't going to intimidate Dorcas, ever, but Emm was determined and she knew it. A proper Ravenclaw would realize it'd be easier to just let her win this one. Dorcas was a proper Ravenclaw.

"Come on, you can ride behind me. Before it gets too dark and my eyesight becomes compromised and I crash into the Whomping Willow."

Dorcas punched her. She got on anyway and gripped Emm tight enough to hurt. "Dork, you're killing me here. Loosen up."

"No, I'm not falling off this bloody thing, Emmeline."

Emm turned to look at her and smiled. "Dork, really, do you think I'd ever let you fall?" The dark look remained.

When Emm kicked off Dorcas knocked the breath out of her and she had to forcibly pry her arms loose. "Relax! Merlin, Dork, relax."

She took her around for a few, low, laps around the pitch. The second set was higher, faster. And the third set was even higher. All the while Dorcas muttered darkly into her ear. Emm ignored her and continued to try and instruct her on basic broom handling.

They were coming in for a landing when Emm simply couldn't resist herself. "Dork?"

"Yes?"

"I love you. I'll make this up to you."

"Wha-"

Her question was cut off when Emm barrel-rolled twice. Dorcas' shout made her ears ring and Emm was forced to follow her up to the castle apologizing all the way. Between laughs.


	2. Chapter 2

**June 1980**

They stumbled in weak and weary. Their robes were soiled with dirt and blood and a number of things they didn't even want to consider. Emm lit a fire in the fireplace and threw her robes into it. Without a word Marlene handed hers over and she tossed it in as well. They didn't want to keep them after tonight.

The fire cast odd shadows around Emm's otherwise dark flat and they watched them for a few minutes while they sat before turning their eyes to one another. Emm's forehead was streaked with blood, the source of which she didn't care to discover. Marlene's lip had been busted open and a little trickle of blood could still be seen. There were bags under their eyes, scratches and scrapes on their arms, tears in their clothing, blood under their nails.

A muggle-born witch had once mentioned to Emm how interesting Wizard duels seemed. _"There's no real contact!" _She'd said. If she could see them now.

Marlene was the first to move. She walked over to Emm's kitchen and pulled a bottle of wine out from the cupboard under the sink. Tomorrow Emm would buy a new bottle to replace the one they'd drink tonight, like she'd done so many times already.

They each held the bottle in the air for a moment before taking a swig in honor of their fallen. Elias had been a great wizard and was a great loss to not only the Order, but his year old daughter and wife as well.

Neither of them would say it, but there was a bitter victory in each drink. They'd survived one more night. Once again, it hadn't been them on the other side of the killing curse.

They should have gone to the Mckinnon home where her brother would have treated them for all that ailed them. They hadn't even thought of it. Later Marlene would stumble in and Zachary would take care of her, but only after they'd sat in Emm's flat for hours drinking slowly and waiting for the haunted look in their eyes to diminish even a little.

The aches of their muscles and bruises was a sad reminder that they were still alive. Each ugly purple and yellow blotch on their pale skin was a seal honoring those who had died before them.

Tomorrow morning they'd both wake up and go to work pretending everything was fine. When the news of Elias Murkle's untimely death arrived they'd act appropriately shocked and saddened. When Dorcas and Mary asked them how they were doing, they'd lie.

They didn't talk much about the war on those nights, mostly because they didn't have the words to express what they were feeling. Partly because neither of them wanted to admit how happy they were just to still be alive. They didn't want to admit how easy it was all becoming.


	3. Chapter 3

**July 1980**

He's so small in her arms she's afraid she'll somehow break him. It's ridiculous, she reminds herself, but then she's standing in St. Mungo's (without completely breaking down) holding Alice and Frank's baby boy while Lily and James work on delivering another just down the hall. So, ridiculous seems to be the theme for the night.

She's the first one to hold him that isn't family, if only because she was standing closest to Alice. Sirius, Remus, and Peter are all crowded around her. She knows they're all hyper aware, in anticipation of Harry's birth, but each of them is looking intently at Neville. Dorcas is there too and Moody as well, for some reason. Frank and Alice's families are outside in the waiting room, having been kind enough to make room for visiting friends for just a while.

She's in awe of him. He's so tiny, so soft, so beautiful. Emm can't seem to wrap her mind around him.

He and Harry are both accidents, she knows, but they seem to be the best accidents to have ever come into existence. Harry hasn't even been born yet. She never thought she'd wanted this, but she's suddenly rather in love with the sleeping, wrinkly, pink baby in her arms.

Without even thinking about it she starts talking to him, having enough sense to keep her voice low. "Hey, there. You don't know me yet, but my name is Emmeline." He's asleep and it's all very odd, but it seems to make perfect sense. "But, you can call me Emmy, once you learn how to talk."

"That's hardly fair."

She blinks up at Sirius. She'd almost forgotten they were in the room. She catches Alice's tired, fond look.

"Why should he just be allowed to call you Emmy? Some of us had to earn that privilege." He's giving her a strange knowing look and she really doesn't want to think about Sirius' strange looks right now. When he holds out his arms she carefully passes Neville on to him. "Lucky little brat."

The smile on her face is decidedly not ice-queen material. She knows automatically that these babies will do nothing for reputation.


End file.
